Holiday Knights
by Blackbird
Summary: Join some of the most famous residents of Gotham City as they enjoy the holiday season on their own unqiue ways.
1. Harley & Ivy

**Disclaimer: **_The Characters from "The Batman" are owned by DC Comics, Warner Bros., Bob Kane and God knows how many other people by now. This is a story done purely for fun and not to make profit whatsoever. Any original characters that may appear belong to the writer and can be used with permission. _

**Holiday Knights**

**Chapter 1: Harley & Ivy**

Christmas is usually a festive time of the year. A time when people are supposed to come together to celebrate peace and love and good will towards men. For the inmates at Arkham Asylum, however, it's just another day with only a few exceptions like the large, brightly lit tree with some of the most gaudy decorations ever placed in the middle of the rec room as well as few old looped Christmas specials on the TV. The more well behaved inmates were also allowed to receive gifts from friends and family. Being that they were still dangerous criminals, they were allowed nothing bigger than a greeting card, but as they say it's the thought that counts. At the very least it let the inmates believe that there was someone out there that still cared for them and the heads of the Asylum agreed that was best for their mental health.

Despite the festive feeling in their air, one certain green skinned inmate still looked completely miserable. Well, maybe _completely _was too strong a word. At the very least she was glad to be out of her stuffy cell. It was her reward for showing so much progress in her therapy sessions. But since she was _still_ considered such a high risk for escape, all the guards in the rec room were keeping an extra eye on her. Oddly enough though, they weren't the ones putting her in such a foul mood. Or at least not them in particular. There was just something about this season itself and people's care free attitudes that just really annoyed her. If she had to deal with just _one_ more person wishing her a "Merry Christmas" she'd-

"Merry Christmas Ivy!" Harley's overly cheerful voice broke her thoughts.

"Bah humbug!" the plant girl snarled back before she laid her head on the table she sat at.

"Oh come on kiddo, don't be like that," the blonde encouraged as she sat down next to the girl. "This is the time of year when we're all supposed to be happy."

"Happy?" Ivy muttered right before her head snapped up and she glared daggers at Harley. "Happy? How am I supposed to be happy with..._that_ in here?"

Harley arched an eyebrow in confusion before her head slowly turned in the direction of Ivy's outstretched hand which was pointing accusingly at the large pine tree in the middle of the room. She blinked a few times before she cast a bewildered glance back at her friend.

"Uhh...ya _do_ know that's a fake tree, right deary?" she asked slowly.

"Of _course_ I know it's a fake tree!" Ivy snarled with an irritated sigh. "And I'm _at least_ happy they decided to go with one but it's what it _represents_ that aggravates me!"

Harley rolled her eyes then leaned over the table and laid her chin on her left hand with a tired sigh.

"Lemme guess, this is something about how chopping down trees for Christmas is bad, right?" she droned.

"How _isn't_ it bad?" Ivy shot back. "Every year at this time people go on a genocidal spree that would _easily_ be considered a war crime if it weren't done on plants! And that's just the pine trees! Let's not forget all the mistletoe and wreathes out there."

The blonde woman _would_ have started to zone out at yet _another_ one of her young friend's environmental rants if she hadn't noticed that the guards _were_ paying attention to the outburst and were starting to reach for their stun batons. So instead of going off to her own little world, she reached out to grab Ivy's wrist and yank her back down into her seat. The redhead stared angrily at her but before she could ask her what she was going, Harley merely pointed to the on-edge guards. Ivy's eyebrows shot up in surprise before she calmed down and gave a slight nod to Harley before she leaned back in the chair. The blonde returned the nod with a smile then looked up at the guards.

"See there, boys? Nothin' to worry about here. Professional at work," she informed them in her usual cheerful tone.

The guards looked unsurely at each other for a moment before they all nodded and returned to their ready positions. Ivy cast an odd look at her friend herself as she leaned back in her chair.

" 'Professional', huh?" she mocked.

"Hey, I have a psychology degree!" Harley shot back.

"An _online_ degree."

"It's _still_ a degree!"

"Whatever," Ivy scoffed with a roll of her eyes.

"And all that training is telling me that there's another reason why you're so grumpy right now and it has nothin' to do with Christmas trees or any of that junk. I think..." she paused to lean forward with a devious grin on her face, "...you're missin' someone."

Ivy did her best to keep her face calm, but inside she was having a mini panic attack. She didn't remember letting it slip that she was technically in a relationship with someone and she was _sure_ she didn't tell _anyone _that the relationship was with _Batgirl_. So how could Harley have figured it out? She wasn't _that_ observant.

Was she?

"I don't know what you're talking about," the green girl waved off dismissively.

"Oh honey, _please_," Harley retorted. "I was the host of a love line show for two years, I know the signs to look for."

"You were the host of a trash TV talk show the more often than not ruined people's lives," Ivy countered.

"Sure there were a few hiccups here and there but I helped more people than I hurt and it helped me become an expert in the matters of the heart."

"Says the woman who's dating The Joker."

Harley's brow furrowed in annoyance. "You want to hear my advise or not?"

"Not particularly," Ivy droned as she rest her chin on her palm again.

"Well tough, cause you're gonna here it anyway," the blonde said forcefully.

She then leaned back in her chair and straightened her hair out to appear more professional as she looked Ivy over again more thoroughly this time.

"So I'd say...recently started relationship, right?" she probed.

Ivy sighed and rolled her eyes again. "I'm _not_ doing this, Harley. I've already got a _much_ more qualified shrink annoying me almost every day."

"Yet you keeping going to him even though you _clearly_ don't like 'im. Plus the last time I invited you to escape with me you refused. So that means whoever this person is, they're very important to you."

"You're just going to keep doing this, aren't you?" the plant girl asked, practically rhetorically.

Harley went on undisturbed. "Now the question is what kind of boy is he?"

Ivy didn't respond.

"Or maybe it's not a boy at all," the blonde tried again with a slight smirk. "Maybe it's...a girl."

Despite trying to remain motionless and appear unconcerned, Ivy's left eyebrow did twitch a bit at the last remark. Much to her surprise, the usually bubbly blonde seemed rather sharp at the moment and happened to catch the slight movement.

"Ha! I knew it!" she cried out happily, clapping her hands together and surprising the guards again.

"What do you mean 'you knew it'?" Ivy snarled, sitting up straight in her chair.

"Oh, don't be so upset sweetie," Harley advised as she laid a comforting hand on the girl's knee. "It's just a vibe I've been gettin' from you since we met. There's nothin' wrong with it. In fact..." She looked around suspiciously before she leaned forward and motioned for Ivy to do that same.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Ivy did just that so she could hear whatever secret Harley was going to share with her. Though she half expected her just to yell in her ear to watch her jump up in stark terror.

"...I've kinda been pitch hitting for the other team myself lately," Harley revealed.

The plant girl ended up being surprised all right, it just wasn't the kind of surprise she was excepting.

"What?" she shouted, her eyes wide a bit.

The blonde just smiled and nodded as she leaned back again.

"Yep. 'Course they're just thoughts right now but still it shows it's nothing to be ashamed of," she nodded sagely.

"I'm _not_ ashamed, I just don't feel like sharing my personal business with anyone else," Ivy explained harshly.

"Aaaaw, but we're friends!" Harley pouted. "Friend's tell each other things like this! I can tell you who I've been having those kinda thoughts about."

"I honestly don't care."

"Ya sure? Figured you might be a bit jealous."

Ivy gave her a confused look. "Why would I be jealous?"

"I always thought you had kind of a thing for me. I mean I _have_ noticed you starin' at my chest every so often," she noted.

"Oh, don't flatter yourself!" the other girl scoffed. "It's just that it's hard _not_ to look at those things when they're bouncing around all over the place! Especially when you're in a skin tight suit and we're running away from the cops."

Harley just shrugged. "Eh, it's like I told the kitty cat, it's just what God gave me. I'm sure yours will plump up a bit more when you're a bit older."

"I'm twenty," Ivy growled.

"Oh," the bouncy blonde frowned and looked her friend over yet again. "Well...some girls just aren't meant to be very big. But it's fine, the look works for you. Kinda gives you a wood nymph look that fits into your overall theme."

"Whatever," she grumbled, folding her arms under her moderately sized breasts and pushing them up a bit to make them seem just slightly bigger.

"I'm sure whoever you've got on the outside doesn't mind their size though, right?" Harley remarked to try to lift her spirits and get the information she wanted.

"Harley, I told you, I'm not-"

"Isley, Pamela!" the guard with the bag of cards called out.

Ivy blinked in surprise then looked at the guard before she turned back to Harley.

"Did he just...?" she asked, pointing to him.

"Yep!" Harley beamed excitedly.

Unsure of what else to do, Ivy raised her hand so the guard could find her in the crowded rec room. He plodded his way over to her and begrudgingly handed over the red colored envelope to her. She barely hid her own disgust at his attitude, but it was quickly forgotten as she looked at the envelope marked only with the word "RED" in green letters and a warm sense of familiarity and comfort washed over her.

It didn't last long.

"Quick! Someone call Santa! I think one of his elves got away!" The Joker cackled from behind her.

"Cram it clown!" she growled, shooting him a deadly glare.

"Oooh! Help! Guards! They elf's going to give me a lump of coal in my stocking!" the still straight jacketed maniac cried out in mock terror as he danced around a bit.

"Oh Puddin' leave her alone," Harley pleaded as she stood up and moved between them. "It's Christmas after all, the one time we should all get together and love each other."

"But I _do_ love her, Shnookie," Joker as he leaned against her, but kept his eye's purely on Ivy. "I just love how her presence can light up a whole room like say...oh...I dunno...a Christmas tree!"

"You sick, sadistic freak!" Ivy bellowed amid his manically laughter as she jumped up from her chair.

"Joker! Ivy! Settle it now or we'll settle it for you!" one of the guards warned, taking out his stun baton and stepping forward.

Ivy continued to stare daggers at The Joker, wanting nothing more than to wipe that stupid grin right off his arrogant, pasty face. In fact, not very long ago she wouldn't hesitated to do so. But nowadays she had something more important to worry about then putting the clown in his place. With that thought in mind she let out a slight side as she relaxed and walked up to the nearest guard.

"Forget it, he's not worth it," she scoffed and looked at the guard. "I'm ready to go back to my cell now."

He nodded then escorted her out of the rec room just as Harley was leading Joker in the opposite direction. Despite how odd she could be, Ivy was thankful to have a friend like Harley in here. Which made the decision she had been rolling over in her head the last few weeks all the more difficult, but she had to do what was best for her and right now that meant following her heart.

She followed the guard back to her cell and stepped inside it without any trouble. Plopped down onto the bed and made sure the guard was gone before she pulled the envelope out of her pocket. She checked to see if she was alone again before she tore it open and pulled out the card inside. It was a pretty standard looking Christmas card with a white background to represent snow and a pine tree right in the middle decorated with all sorts of reflective bits of paper to represent lights. Above the tree in red glittery letters was the word "Merry" and below it was the word "Christmas". Ivy refrained herself from scowling in disgust as she flipped it open to reveal the true present inside.

Taped to the left side of the card was a small photograph of both herself and Barbara before the accident that changed both of their lives. They were sitting on a bench in the middle of a park with their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders and smiling widely. Or at least they were _supposed_ to have their arms around their shoulders until Barbara put two fingers up behind her head so she could give those stupid rabbit years that aren't funny after you're seven. Still she certainly seemed quite pleased with herself in the picture and looking back on it now, Ivy couldn't help but chuckle a bit too. The day that picture was taken was one of the best times she had in her life and the day she realized she liked the other Red as more then just a friend.

When she pulled the picture off the card, she finally noticed the hand written message on the other half of it.

_Dear Red,_

_Here's something to remember the good times with and the hopes we can have them again when you get out. Also I hope this is a Christmas tree you can actually enjoy. Sorry for the card though, can't do anything about that. Hope to see you soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Red_

Ivy smiled gently at the message then set the card aside so she could focus on the picture. She ran a finger over Barbara's face before she drew it back so she could kiss both her index and middle figure then touch them gently to her girlfriend's lips.

"I'll be with you as soon as I can Red. I promise," she vowed softly.

**To Be Continued...**

**Author's Notes: **Well that "To Be Continued" up there is a little misleading. Yes this _story_ itself will continue but not this _storyline_. See this is going to be a series of small vignette pieces focusing on two characters in Gotham and what they do on Christmas. My original plan was to make it five chapters, four for Christmas and one for New Years, and post them one a week during December. But of course plans never work out as hoped and some family obligations has set me back a bit. I fully intend to write the other three Christmas chapters but they might be released one a day either the week before or the week of Christmas. I don't know yet, we'll have to see, but I'm _totally_ doing this! Like Ivy above I'm making a vow though I'm doing it LOUDLY! 'Course the New Years one might not be up til New Years Day but that's only fitting.

'Course me being the whore for continuity that I am, these can't just be simple throw away Christmas stories. Nope, they actually tie into the world of The Batman that I've been working on lately as I'm sure some of you noticed from the scene above. So not only will it reference things, but it will have an affect on later stories. Yes, I make things a bit dense and connected, but I just love doing it so much so it's just the way it is. Hopefully it's not _too_ confusing.

Also, yes, I totally stole the overall name for this fic from that B:TAS ep that actually started off the new style of the show. I just loved it so much and really couldn't think of another title so I just went with it. Hey, I'm not making money off this thing I can do that. Right? Right?

Oh, and yes I made Ivy 20 by this point in the continuity. I figured with all the time lapses between seasons and my own fics she'd probably be about that age. I believe the producers said she was a senior when Barbara was a sophomore so I just went from there.

Anyway, I'll see you guys soon for the next chapter of holiday schmaltz.


	2. Jim & Barbara

**Disclaimer: **_The Characters from "The Batman" are owned by DC Comics, Warner Bros., Bob Kane and God knows how many other people by now. This is a story done purely for fun and not to make profit whatsoever. Any original characters that may appear belong to the writer and can be used with permission. _

**Holiday Knights**

**Chapter 2: Jim & Barbara**

Jim Gordon was never one for excess. Even when he was younger he always focused more on the things he _needed_ rather than the things he _wanted_. It was a skill that came in very handy once he had to live on a cop's salary. Even being commissioner didn't earn him a very big paycheck. Something that was especially evident when he had to help put his daughter through college. But that expense he didn't mind. When his daughter was involved he didn't mind indulging in a little excess every now and then.

Which is what led him to his current activity of cooking up what Barbara referred to as his "world famous pork chops." Sure they may not be the most decadent food around, but it certainly was more work than the usual microwave meals and break room donuts that he usually dined on. Of course, the main reason he hadn't made them in such a long time is because he usually had Barbara's help in cooking them. It wasn't that he _couldn't_ cook them by himself, it was just that he enjoyed the father/daughter bonding time that usually resulted in their preparation. Something that was few and far between these days.

He knew it was bound to happen when Barbara said she wanted to live in the dorms instead of stay home while she attended college, but knowing about it and dealing with it were two different things. While he did deal with it as best he could, he was also happier than he expected when Barbara told him she was coming home for Christmas break. He was looking forward to spending some time with her over the next few weeks and hearing first hand how things were going for her in college. Although he had to wait a little while longer as she said she was spending a few days with a friend before coming home on Christmas day.

Of course, he didn't expect her to be _quite_ as late as she was and if he wanted to have the pork chops done in a reasonable amount of time, he had to start them without her. That "starting" turned into flat out "cooking" and in fact he was almost done with them when he heard a key finally slip into the lock on the front door. It was quickly followed by the door creaking open and a cheerful voice proclaiming:

"I'm home!"

Barbara then picked up the blue plastic basket in front of her and stepped quickly into the apartment.

"And I brought laundry!"

"You know where the laundry room is," Jim shot back without looking up from the skillet.

"Ah come on Pop, no sympathy for the weary college student?" Barbara teased before she placed a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Not for ones that come back late," he replied with a barely suppressed smile.

"Yeah, sorry about that, I had to drop something off to a friend and kinda got stuck in traffic. But I'm here now and I can help out with the cooking."

"You mean setting up the table."

Barbara cocked an eyebrow then looked down just in time to see her father turn off the stove and frowned deeply.

"Gee, I didn't think I was _that_ late," she said apologetically.

"I was about two seconds away from sending out an APB on you," he replied.

"See, with you I can never tell if you're joking or not when you say stuff like that," she remarked with a slightly worried look.

"Good," Jim nodded with a self satisfied smirk. "It means I haven't lost my touch."

"Well in any case, let me put this up," Barbara said, hefting the basket a bit, " and then I'll start setting up the table."

"Sounds good, Barb."

She quickly placed the basket and her backpack in her old room then moved into the kitchen where she took out only two plates and glasses from the cabinets and placed them across from each other on the small dining room table. She then turned to get the utensils but was surprised to find her father already walking towards her with them and the small plate of pork chops in hand. She took them from him with a smile and placed the platter between the plates and the utensils with the two plates. One pitcher of water, and a two liter of pop, later and they were ready to enjoy their Christmas dinner. Despite their joy over sharing the first meal in months together, there was still a bit of an awkward silence as they started on their meals.

"So how's school going?" Jim finally asked.

"It's going good. Getting all good grades in my classes," Barbara said with a slight self affirming nod.

"That's good. I knew you had it in you to do well in college, despite some of those odd slips in the last few years of high school."

Barbara choked a bit on the bite of food in her mouth. She had forgotten all about those few classes that had fallen slightly by the wayside thanks to her late night, Bat related activities. The fact that her father remembered caught her a bit off guard but she really shouldn't have been surprised. He was also a stickler for things like that.

"Are you all right?" he asked in concern.

"Yeah, yeah I'm good," she nodded then took a sip of her pop to wash down the rest of the errant food. "Something just went down the wrong pipe is all."

"You should try to actually _chew_ your food then," he shot back with a slight grin.

"Right. Not used to actually getting _time_ to eat. Usually I just chow down on something in the student union between classes."

"You know eating fast doesn't help you avoid the Freshman 15."

"Hey no need to worry about me Pop, I've got plenty of activities to keep me busy and keep those bad calories away," she joked.

"Nothing that goes against our agreement I hope," he replied with a stern look.

Barbara rolled her eyes with a sigh before she slumped against her chair.

"No, no, nothing like that," she muttered, gently poking at her half eaten porkchop with her fork. "Still studying hard to be one of those oh so helpful police lab techs."

"Hey, the tech boys do more to help us than you know," Jim corrected her. "And since you seem to be dead set on getting involved in police work in someway despite my protests, I'd feel a lot safer with you behind a desk all day instead of out there in the field."

"Weren't you _just_ saying I should try to avoid putting on weight? Wouldn't sitting behind a desk all day kinda go against that?" she pointed out.

"First of all, that's just a bad stereotype and you above all people should know that considering you've _met_ some of our lab techs, and secondly, that's what gyms are for."

"I don't know. I mean, I know I'm good with computers and all but I just can't see myself sitting behind a desk all day doing nothing but staring at a monitor," Barbara remarked as she cut off another piece of her porkchop. "I'm much more an _action_ oriented girl."

"Not if you want me to continue helping paying for classes you're not," Jim shot back.

"Yes sir commission, sir!" she shouted with a mock salute.

"Barbara..." he scolded.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry Pop," she apologized then leaned back again. "And I _do_ appreciate the help and that you're worried about me, but I'm not a little kid anymore. I actually _can_ take care of myself."

"I'm not doubting your abilities to do so, it's just that field work is dangerous for any officer. _Especially _in this city. I just want to make sure you stay safe."

A small smile formed on Barbara's face at her father's concerned words.

"See when you say stuff like that it's hard to stay indignant," she retorted.

"That's good. It means I must be doing _something_ right. Provided of course you're not going out late at night and running around with the wrong crowd while you're at college," he said, giving her another curious look.

Again Barbara was surprised by her father's words but this time it was a much more amused surprise that he would use those _specific_ words. She didn't hide her amusement this time and in fact embraced it with the best mischievous grin.

"Who? _Me?_ Now pop would _I_ do something like _that_?" she asked in mock offense as she placed a hand on her chest dramatically.

"Not if you knew what was best for you," he retorted. "That also includes acting sarcastically to your father."

"Duly noted," Barbara said with a chuckle before she took another bite of porkchop. "So after dinner I take it we do our usual Christmas routine; open presents, make some hot coco then spend the rest of the night watching holiday cartoons older than I am."

"That's pretty much what I had planned," Jim nodded in approval.

"Sounds like a great evening."

"I know there's no place I'd rather be tonight."

"Me neither," she nodded then picked up her glass. "Merry Christmas, Pop."

He smiled and picked up his own glass to clink with hers. "Merry Christmas, Barbara."

**To Be Continued...**

**Author's Notes: **Huh. For once I don't really have a lot to say about this chapter. This was the one that really made me want to do this fic in the first place and then it all started to grow from there. It's just that I associate Christmas with spending time with family so much that I guess I kind of transferred that to some of my favorite characters in "The Batman" and of course that would include a touching little scene between Barbara and her dad. Not much to it, but I hope you guys enjoyed it and get to spend time with your own family this holiday season.

'Course being the slightly sadistic bastard I am I couldn't help but thrown in a few sly foreshadowing moments there. I'm sure you guys picked up on them there as I don't think they were quite _that_ subtle. But it was so much fun. Oh and there was a quick reference to the last chapter if anyone caught that one.

Alright, on to the next one! Might actually get this done on time after all. We'll see.

Later guys!


	3. Selina & Emily

**Disclaimer: **_The Characters from "The Batman" are owned by DC Comics, Warner Bros., Bob Kane and God knows how many other people by now. This is a story done purely for fun and not to make profit whatsoever. Any original characters that may appear belong to the writer and can be used with permission. _

**Holiday Knights**

**Chapter 3: Selina & Emily**

Like everyone else in life, the people living on the penthouse level of Gotham Plaza have a different way of spending the holiday season from everyone else. Some fly away to winter houses in warmer, tropical climates, while others simply stay in with a large, elaborate meal from room service. Those who actually _do_ have families visit them for a little bit or have their family members visit them. Either way the visits are never all that long.

In spite of all these eccentric ways to spend the holidays, the most unusual was celebrated in the apartment of one Selina Kyle. She chose to spend Christmas with the only companions she had known for quite awhile: her cats. But she didn't just spend the holiday with them, she celebrated it with them and followed all the traditions. That included a tree and presents. Although the cats couldn't understand the reason why they were getting gifts, they were _more_ than happy to get them and spent just as much time playing with the wrapping paper and boxes as with the gifts themselves.

Selina didn't mind though and just laughed at her babies' antics. In fact she was having quite a lot of fun with the three that were memorized by the small rubber bat dangling from her fingers. She would dip it down low enough for them to take a swipe at or even try to jump for then quick yank it back out of their reach. She chuckled at their desperate and annoyed looks before she dangled the bat in front of them again.

"Who wants the bat? Hmmm? Who wants the big nasty bat?" she cooed like a mother would to her baby.

The cats responded merely by meowing and pawing at the rubber toy.

"Well then...go get it!"

With that she tossed the bat a few feet away and watched gleefully as the cats practically tumbled over each other in a frantic race to be the first to get the prize. Selina laughed before she picked up another present from underneath the tree.

"Now what _else_ did Santa bring you, hmmm?" she teased as she shook the box and drew some of the cats' attention.

She then quickly yanked off the paper she had wrapped herself to reveal a catnip mouse.

"Oooh look! I new mousie for you guys to play with," she practically purred herself.

She quickly ripped the box top back and pulled out the fake, fabric mouse, causing another round of frantic meowing to start. She tossed the toy into the air and the attention of all the cats turned towards it. At the sight of something new to play with they all abandoned their old playthings and jumped into a small pile where they wrestled with each other for ownership of the prized mouse.

While this display was going on, the only other human in the apartment shook her head in bemused disbelief. Although Emily was more than happy that Selina had taken her in and was training her to be in her sidekick, there was still quite a bit she had to get used to.

"I swear you're, like, a hundred pounds and twenty hair curlers away from being the stereotypical crazy cat lady," the blonde girl remarked from her spot on the couch.

Selina looked over at her.

"I'd be careful what you say if I were you, considering that you're only here out of the goodness of my heart," she threatened, though it was clearly half hearted.

"Alright, alright, no making fun of the crazy behavior I got it," Emily returned with her hands held up in defeat.

"You know, you're hardly one to talk considering I've seen _you_ snuggle up to more than one of them on a few occasions."

"Well cats _are_ really soft and it's comfortable to lay down with them. That's pretty normal."

"I take it talking to them is as well, huh?" Selina said with a sly smirk.

Emily's eyes widened in horror and embarrassment.

"You...um...heard that, huh?" she asked, looking down at the floor intently.

The black haired woman nodded. "Uh huh. So I'd think twice next time before you say anything."

"Hey, it's not my fault cats are good listeners!" she protested.

"They're good at all kinds of things," Selina remarked then reached out to pick up one of her cats and held it close to her chest. "Isn't that right, baby?"

The grey tabby merely let out a desperate meow as it struggled to get back to the fight over the catnip mouse.

"Well, if you can stand to party with your pretty kitty there _might_ be another present around here just for you," Emily teased.

"Oh?" Selina asked with an arched eyebrow as she set the cat down. "And why might that be?"

As the tabby scampered back to the other cats, the blonde stood up from the couch and reached into the front pocket of her purple hoodie. From there she pulled out a long, skinny box with a gold bow on top. She handed it over to the older woman a bit hesitantly, not used to actually giving things away and unsure if she would actually like the gift.

"It's not much. Just a little something I...picked up a few days ago," she explained quickly.

Selina took the box with all the curiosity of her favorite animal and quickly slid the bow off so she could flip the box open. She let out a small gasp of surprise when she saw what was inside. It was a small, gold neckless in the shape of a sitting cat. Two bright emeralds represented the cat's eyes while it's raised tail was filled in with sparkling diamonds. She slipped it out of the case then pulled back her long, black hair so she could fasten the clasp around her neck. She inspected the necklace one more time before she let it settle above her impressive chest.

"It's beautiful," she said softly. "Thanks."

"Yeah...well...don't make a big deal out of it," Emily requested, looking a bit uneasy.

"So when you say you 'picked it up' you mean...?"

"Stole it," the blonde said casually.

"And nobody saw you?" Selina pressed.

"Nope. Got in and out without a hitch," Emily revealed with a self satisfied smirk.

"Oh, I'm impressed. You're coming along quite well kid. Which means I don't have to worry about giving you _your_ present."

The blonde blinked blankly. "Huh?"

Selina smirked at her dumbfounded expression then reached over to the back of the large Christmas tree and pulled out a long, festively wrapped box. She held it out to her young protege who just continued to stare as if she had told something really strange.

"So do you want this or not?" Selina asked, shaking the box a bit.

That finally seemed to snap Emily out of her daze and she shook her head to clear the cobwebs.

"Um. Yeah. Yeah I do," she muttered as she took the box.

She shook it to try to figure out what might be inside but all she heard as a general thumbing sound. She gave it a squeeze and whatever was inside was fairly soft. She turned the box over in her hands and realized it was about the size of a clothing box. Her eyes widened a bit as she turned over in her head what the present might be.

"Is this what I think it is?" she asked excitedly.

Selina kept a neutral expression on her face.

"I don't know. Maybe you should open it up and find out," she advised with a smirk.

Emily did just that, tearing over the reflective paper in a flurry of excitement. She ripped off tape holding the two halves of the plain white box together and tossed the lid aside, scary away a few of the cats around her feet. When she folded back the tissue paper her blue eyes brightened in delight and a wide smile crossed her face at the object inside.

"I don't believe it!" she squealed. "This is amazing!"

Selina's smile matched at of her protege's as she watched the usually reserved girl practically jump up and down at the sight of her gift.

"Well what are you waiting for? Go try it on," she instructed.

Emily nodded rapidly before quickly disappearing into the room that had been set up for her. A few muffled sounds of clothes changing could be heard behind the door before there was a long period of silence. Selina tried to wait for a reply but as always her curiosity got the better of her.

"So how is it?" she called out.

Her answer came in the form of the door opening and Emily stepping out in a costume that nearly matched her own Catwoman costume. The differences were that Emily's costume had shorter ears as a sign of her "kitten" status, featured thigh high black boots, green tinted goggles, and most odd of all, was colored purple. In spite of the color choice it still looked quite good on her and judging by her still grinning face she thought so as well.

"It's awesome!" Emily beamed proudly. "I love it! I can't believe you actually made this for me!"

"Just like you wanted," Selina mused as she stood up and walked over to the girl to look her over. "Although I _still_ don't get the color. I mean, when have you _ever_ seen a purple cat?"

"Hey, don't knock the purple! I _like_ purple!" Emily shot back as she removed the mask and untied her hair. "Besides, Batgirl's costume is purple and you don't see any purple bats flying around, do you?"

The black haired woman placed her hands on her hips and stared at her.

"You really think bringing up a comparison to the Bats is a good idea?" she challenged.

"Fine, fine, whatever,"the blonde remarked as she turned to look at herself in a wall mounted mirror. "Still I think I make a rather good Catgirl."

"You make a good _looking_ Catgirl. We won't know how good you actually _are_ til our first heist together."

"I guess that's true. Still..."

Emily paused as she stared at the reflection of herself in her new costume with Selina standing behind. Everything seemed to be happening so quickly from the night she had broken into the apartment of the infamous Catwoman and tried to steal from her. Instead of kicking her out or turning her over to the cops like she could have done, this remarkable woman took a chance on her and not only took her in but also was inviting her partner-in-crime. To watch her back when things got tough. She was trusting her completely. And to top it all off her costume wasn't just a work necessity, it was a Christmas present. The best present she ever got.

She sniffed a bit and she felt the corners of her eyes water a bit. She wiped them away quickly, hoping that Selina hadn't seen them.

"What's wrong?" the woman asked in concern, taking a step forward.

Apparently she had.

"It's just..." Emily started, not sure if she wanted to share this much with her mentor.

Still if _she_ was willing to share so much with _her_...

"I never really had a Christmas before," she revealed.

Selina seemed a bit shocked by this.

"Your parents didn't celebrate it?" she asked with an arched eyebrow. "Are you Jewish? Because I can add a few things if you need."

"No, no it's not that," she said with a shake of her head. "As you can probably tell my parents weren't the best ones around. They honestly just forgot about me during Christmas and if they _did_ think to get me something it was usually some crappy last minute gift from a gas station. So...getting something like _this_..."

She paused as her eyes watered again and before she knew what she was doing she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Selina's waist in a tight hug. The cat burglar was surprised by this action but she quickly recovered and returned the hug.

"Thank you," Emily whispered. "For the gift and for everything else you've done for me."

"Yeah well don't get too sappy on me," Selina returned even if she was smiling. "It's just that I know what it's like to be down on your luck so it wasn't that hard of a decision to take you in. Still you're welcome."

The girl nodded as best she could and silence filled the room as they simply stood there in a tight hug for several seconds.

"Merry Christmas," Emily finally said softly.

Selina smiled wider and laid a hand on top of the girl's head to gently stroke her hair.

"Merry Christmas kiddo."

**To Be Continued...**

**Author's Notes: **Two chapters in one day! _Two_ chapters in one day! Man I am kicking _ass_ on these things! Which I knew I could if I just got the time. At least I'll be able to meet my pre-Christmas quota I set for myself as there's only one Christmas themed chapter left.

As for this chapter, I know it's a little extra sappy but it's one I wanted to have to show how closely Selina and Emily are growing. Plus I knew I had to write in a scene to reveal how Emily got her Catgirl costume and what it looked like and I couldn't think of a way to do that in the fic with their first caper together without it kinda shoe horned in and ruining the flow of the story in my head. So I decided to just get into the spirit of things and make it a Christmas gift! That also allowed me to have some fun with the coloring.

And for those wondering, _yes_ the Catgirl costume _is_ based on Catwoman's 90's costume. Well actually it's based on a figure for The Batman Catwoman that I saw that was painted purple but that undoubtedly was inspired by the 90's costume. Course purple's been a Catwoman color since the beginning and while it _does_ look nice on her, it brings up the question I gave Selina here, when the hell have you _ever_ seen a purple cat? I mean outside of He-Man of course. It's just weird that it works so well on her even though it doesn't exist in nature.

For a look at this costume itself, and what Emily looks like in the last few moments of the fic you can check out a pic of it by the very talented Shoot-O here:

http:/ shoot-o. deviantart. com/ art/ Catgirl-189346442

And a more complete look at it, as well as my KP Catgirl, by my friend Deaku here:

http:/ deaku. deviantart. com/art/ Catgirl-vs-Catgirl-148671934

So that's all for now. The next chapter might take a little while longer to get out but it should be out next week. Definitely the week _of_ Christmas if nothing else.

See ya then!


	4. Bruce & Dick

**Disclaimer: **_The Characters from "The Batman" are owned by DC Comics, Warner Bros., Bob Kane and God knows how many other people by now. This is a story done purely for fun and not to make profit whatsoever. Any original characters that may appear belong to the writer and can be used with permission. _

**Holiday Knights**

**Chapter 4: Bruce & Dick**

Christmas had not been truly celebrated in the halls of Wayne Manor for many years. Not since a certain life-changing event. Although a lone, highly dedicated butler did _try_ to keep the spirit of the holiday alive, his efforts were met with forced merriment most of the time. But all that changed recently with a much more lively addition to the mansion that, despite his own personal tragedy, still embraced Christmas with all the enthusiasm that most young people did. Despite being far from young himself, Alfred felt his own excitement for the holiday return when he saw how excited Dick became as Christmas Day drew closer and closer. He noticed that even Bruce seemed a little more upbeat when around his surrogate son and smiled a bit more often.

Of course these attitudes were the more prevalent on Christmas Day itself when the halls of the mansion were once again filled with the sounds of tearing paper and excited cheering. Not surprisingly most of those cheers came from the teenager on the floor surrounded by gifts and the remnants of wrapping paper. With his usual boundless enthusiasm increased ten fold he seemed to be much younger than he actually was, which made even the two adults feel young again. Or in the case of Bruce, young and happy as he just couldn't help but smile as he watched his young ward rifle through all his gifts.

"So did you get everything you wanted, Master Dick?" Alfred asked with a wry smirk.

"Oh yeah! It's been a _great_ Christmas," Dick replied with a wide grin.

"Well, then here's a little bonus," Bruce spoked up as he pulled another present out from behind his chair.

"Score!" the young teenager cheered then bounded up and snatched the present from his hands.

Dick landed back on the couch with a slight bounce then ripped off the brightly colored paper in one quick motion. What lay underneath was a thick DVD box set featuring a figure wrapped in a grey cloak predominately on the cover right under the title: _The Grey Ghost: The Complete Animated Series._ Dick looked at it questioningly for a few seconds before his turned his quizzical gaze on his mentor.

"What's _They Grey Ghost_?" he asked.

"It's something of a Wayne family tradition actually," Bruce started with a small, wistful smile. "My grandfather started it by listening to the old radio broadcasts. Then my father watched the old campy 60's show that...well from what I remember in the reruns wasn't that good. I mean, it was fun but it got the character _completely_ wrong and ruined his image for a few decades actually."

"So, then what's this?" the teen asked, holding up the box set.

"_That_ is what _I_ used to watch," he returned. "Like I said, it took a few years before people were ready to take The Grey Ghost seriously again, but when they cartoon came out it completely changed people's opinion on the character. Didn't hurt that it was a really well done show that paid tribute to everything that came before it. In fact Simon Trent, the star of the 60's show, appears in an episode as a washed up actor. It was really well and one of the best episodes of the series."

"So wait, you used to watch this when _you_ were a kid? But I thought..."

A heavy silence filled the room at the implications of the unfinished sentence. Bruce's expression quickly fell to a much more somber one as the memory that had haunted most of his life came rushing back. Normally he embraced it and let it strengthen his resolve to prevent that from happening to anyone ever again. But he didn't want to dwell on it today. Not today. Today was a day to reflect on the good in the world and not the bad. He forced another smile, this one smaller and more sorrowful, before he continued.

"I at least _started_ watching it," he clarified. "It came out a year before my parents' deaths and in fact my dad used to watch it with me. It was a way to keep the tradition alive and one of the things we really bonded over."

"Whoa," Dick mumbled and looked down at the set again, taking in the full implications of this present.

They were quite heavy and nothing that either of them would ever state fully outright, or at least not Bruce, but as he thought about it, Dick felt a strange comfort in the idea. Like Bruce he had lost his family in a tragedy and like him he had taken up the mantle of a crime fighter to help prevent that tragedy from happening to other people. It made them a surrogate family, and with this one gift Bruce was saying he was ready to think of them as actual family. One of the biggest, and best, Christmas presents ever.

But before he could get _too_ sentimental about it though, something else popped into his head as he stared at the set a bit more.

"Wait, isn't there a _new_ version of this series out there?" he asked.

Bruce frowned a bit then let out a sigh as he leaned back in the chair.

"Well, yes but it's just not as good at that version from what I've seen," he remarked. "Plus the art style's just a bit odd for my taste."

"I dunno, I've heard some good things," Dick shrugged.

"Maybe I'll get that one for your next year. For now I was hoping you'd help me finish up the series. I never got to because of...well you know."

"The whole 'I am vengeance' thing, right?" the teen retorted with a smirk.

"To put it bluntly," Bruce nodded with a slight scowl.

Dick continued to smile a bit longer then went about peeling off the shrink wrap around the set.

"I think watching this all day sounds pretty cool," he said. "Kinda wondering just what kinda shows young Brucie was into. So do we get popcorn with this?"

"Only if you don't call me 'young Brucie' again," Bruce remarked.

"Okay, okay," Dick muttered then looked up at the other man standing near the couch. "So Alfred, popcorn in the microwave already?"

"Heavens no!" Alfred responded in complete horror. "I assure you Master Dick, I will not sully such an occasion with mere packaged popcorn. What I plan to prepare is an old Pennyworth recipe handed down to me from _my_ grandparents."

The teen looked rather confused. "Um...isn't it all just popped corn?"

"Not at all. It's all depends on the spices and oils you use. Trust me, once you've had this popcorn you'll never want to go back to the mircowaved mess. I state my reputation on it."

"It _is_ the best popcorn I've ever had," Bruce verified. "And I think a bowl of is just the thing we need for a viewing of The Grey Ghost. Thank you, Alfred."

"It's my honor, Master Bruce," the Englishmen said with a slight bow. "And might I add it's nice to see you in good spirits during this time of the year again."

"It feels rather nice too," he said with a genuine smile.

"Okay, I hope no one's expecting me to say, 'God bless everyone' because I don't think I'd make it through the first word without barfing," Dick quipped.

"I think just 'Merry Christmas' will do," Bruce said.

"Tis the season," Alfred retorted.

"Merry Christmas it is then," Dick nodded then held up the set. "So how's about we get this show started?"

Bruce nodded then took the first disk of the set from Dick and quickly slipped it into the DVD player. He sat back down on the couch next to the boy and after the quite impressive menu screen popped up, they switched on the first episode and settled in for a long day of viewing. Alfred smiled brightly before he turned to walk towards the kitchen to start his family's famous popcorn. He cast one last look at the two over his shoulder and was reminded of simplier, happier times.

"Merry Christmas indeed," he said under his breath.

**To Be Concluded...**

**Author's Notes: **Well apparently going without writing for a week made me slightly rusty but once I got over a slight block this scene came out quite nicely. Not as long as some of the others but it's really hard to get Bruce Wayne of all people into the holiday spirit. Still I like to think I succeeded quite nicely, but what do you guys think?

Also this chapter _was_ a lot of fun when I got to the Grey Ghost stuff as I was able to put in a lot of Mythology Gags, Fourth Wall Breaking and a bit of Take That. See if you can point them all out!

This chapter also marks the end of the Christmas chapters for this fic and next week I'll be back for something for New Years Day. Until then I hope you guys all have a Merry Christmas and get plenty of goodies this year.

See ya next year!


	5. Batman & Gordon

**Disclaimer: **_The Characters from "The Batman" are owned by DC Comics, Warner Bros., Bob Kane and God knows how many other people by now. This is a story done purely for fun and not to make profit whatsoever. Any original characters that may appear belong to the writer and can be used with permission. _

**Holiday Knights**

**Chapter 5: Batman & Gordon**

Commissioner Gordon hugged his overcoat tighter to himself to try to keep out the bitter winter wind. The painfully cold weather wasn't the best way to start off the new year, but in spite of it all there were still plenty of people out celebrating in the early morning hours. Of course that also meant much more work for his officers to make sure the celebrating didn't get too out of hand. Normally he wouldn't mind doing a few patrols himself to help them out, but he already had a meeting he had to attend. One that was quickly becoming a routine and if it kept up it might actually works its way into a holiday tradition.

He still gazed over the crowd as he made his way to the small corner diner. Meeting or not he was still a cop and if something should happen on his watch he wouldn't hesitate to take action. Despite a few off key singers, however, everyone seemed as well behaved as they could be while ringing in the new year. He looked out over the crowd again before he stepped inside appropriately named Corner Café. The bell above the door jingled lightly but it was barely heard over the drunken exclamations of one of the last two customers. He glanced at the owner standing behind the counter before giving a slight nod towards the couple. The larger man simply shook his head with a nonchalant shrug. Gordon nodded in understanding then tipped his head towards the door. The owner nodded back before he moved over to the couple.

"Alright folks, time to head out. I gotta lock up," he informed them.

"Good, I've been trying to get him to leave for an hour," the blonde girl next to him remarked in annoyance.

"But...I not done wit' my shoup," the man slurred drunkenly.

"You've been done for twenty minutes," she sighed. "Now you're just scooping up air."

"Whhhhaaaa? But ish so gooooood."

"I'll get your more later when you're sober," she sighed as she pulled him off the stool.

As she dragged him towards the door, Gordon kept a close eye on him to make sure he didn't try anything stupid like most drunk people do.

"Do you need any help with him?" he offered.

"No. No I got 'em," she muttered. "He gets like this every time there's a big party and what's a bigger party than New Years, right?"

"Well I hope you're his designated driver."

She pulled a set of car keys from her jeans pocket with a sly smile. "Right here. Trust me I may be blonde but I'm not dumb."

He nodded. "In any case drive save."

"Thanks," she said before she finally dragged her shambling boyfriend out of the diner.

The owner then moved over to the door and switched off the bright neon "Open" sign then locked the door. Once that was done he disappeared in the back while Gordon sat down in a corner booth near the back of the dinning room. About a minute later the owner came back with two cups of coffee. He set own down in front of Gordon and placed the other one in front of the empty seat across from him.

"So you think he'll show this year?" he asked.

"He's made it the past two years, Joe," Gordon responded before he took a sip of his coffee. "Still, with him you can never really tell."

"Thought I earned more trust than that by now," a slightly gruff voice remarked from the shadows.

Even though his mysterious appearance wasn't anything new, both Gordon and Joe were still a bit surprised as Batman seemed to meld out of the shadows and make his way over to the booth. He sat down across from Gordon then picked up his cup and took a small sip.

"Good as always Joe," Batman complimented.

"Thanks," Joe nodded in acceptance. "And now if you'll excuse me I got a few things in the back I gotta take care of."

The two ignored the flimsy excuse as they had for the past two years and simply enjoyed their coffee a moment longer before their conversation started.

"Seems everything was quiet for the holidays this year," Gordon mused. "Maybe the crazies are learning to take them off as well."

"I think it was a fluke more than anything," Batman remarked.

"Maybe. But can't fault an old man for wanting to have a bit of hope, can you?"

"I suppose not. It's what we're all fighting for after all."

Gordon nodded as he took another sip.

"At the very least let's hope it stays quiet til after all the celebrating is over. My boys are spread thin enough as it is."

"I'm having my team keeping an eye on things to try to help you out," Batman informed him.

"And as always, I appreciate it," the commissioner responded as he lift his cup up slightly. "Speaking of whom, when did you add the latest Bat? I would have thought that we respected each other for you to keep me in the loop."

The Dark Knight stopped mid sentence as he stared at the older man blankly.

"'Latest Bat'?" he repeated questioningly.

Gordon raised an eyebrow in confusion. "You mean you didn't know? We're getting reports of a 'Batwoman' out there taking down criminals now."

The Caped Crusader sat in silence for several seconds.

"No, I didn't know about that," he confessed as he set is cup down. "I'll have to look into it now though."

"I'll make sure my guys keep an eye on her as well," Gordon promised. "But since she seems to be helping us, there's no reason to break up a nice quiet moment. In fact," he turned halfway in his seat to look towards the large window behind the counter that opened into the kitchen, "Joe I think I'll have a slice of your famous apple pie!"

"Coming right up Commish!" Joe's voice called out from the back.

"Anything you want?" Gordon asked as he turned around but found the seat across from him empty once again.

The only signs that Batman had been there was all were the empty coffee cup and a small amount of money covering both cups and the slice of pie. He chuckled a bit and shook his head.

"If this _does_ become a tradition then one of these days I'm going to beat him to check," he mused to himself.

**The End**

**Author's Note: **Well I _had_ planned to post this chapter up on right after the ball dropped on New Years Eve but it turns out I'll be busy then so I decided to just go ahead and post it now. Hope everyone had a good year and that the next one brings many good fortunes. And that perhaps you'll stick to those New Years Resolutions but we all know how well _that _usually goes.

Anyway, yes this chapter is pretty much a direct homage/rip off of the ending to the original Holiday Knights ep. I just really liked that scene and wanted to do my own take on it. And just like the original it's not very long because...well hell he's Batman he's not much of a big chatter now is he? I _did_, however, get to be my usual teasing self and work in a reference to events yet to come in my series here. Hopefully I'll get to it soon but between my Teen Titans and Kim Possible stuff I'm really not sure when I'll be able to write it. Basically at this point I'm just going with what my muse dictates to me. Sometimes it's what I want to work on and sometimes it's something completely different and out of the blue. Funny how the mind works, isn't it?

Year New Years to everyone and I'll see you all in 2011.


End file.
